Software programs may be written in various programming languages. Additionally, multiple programmers may write and/or edit the code for a single software application. The multiple programmers may work on the code from geographically dispersed locations.
With multiple programmers writing and/or editing code for a single software application, difficulties and inefficiencies may arise. For instance, with conventional software tools, there may be no way for multiple programmers to effectively communicate the current “status” of the code to one another. Hence, with typical software tools, time may be unnecessary expended as each individual programmer, before beginning to work on a software project, is required to review the work of the other co-programmers working on the same project to determine the project's current status.
Other inefficiencies also may arise when multiple programmers write and/or edit the code associated with a single application. For example, one programmer may draft a portion of the code that builds upon and/or uses unfamiliar code that was drafted by someone else. However, drafting code that relies upon unfamiliar code may increase the number of coding errors in the subsequent code due to a lack of thorough understanding of the unfamiliar code, including its detailed operation and naming conventions.
Moreover, when numerous programmers are involved with the process of editing the code for a single application, one programmer may be required to edit unfamiliar code that was drafted by another. Due to that programmer's unfamiliarity with that code, coding errors in the unfamiliar code may not be easily and/or initially recognized. As such, with multiple programmers editing code, some code defects may not be identified until the final stages of the code development. This may create additional inefficiencies, as each unidentified coding error may mask other additional coding errors associated with code called later in the program. In other words, each unidentified coding error may prevent one or more additional coding errors from being timely identified.
Conventional code editors may provide editing tools that are either ineffective or not user friendly. Conventional code editors also may not generate programming warnings and suggestions, the programming suggestions intended to replace certain portions of pre-existing code that may not be written per predetermined coding standards and/or cause runtime/operational difficulties. Furthermore, certain programming languages permit programming with “hard coded,” or otherwise fixed, values. A typical programming language also may permit programming according to pre-determined programming structures. However, conventional editors provide only limited functionality associated with hard coded values and/or programming structures.
Therefore, there is a need for a tool that facilitates increased communication between multiple programmers developing a single software application such that the code may be written and/or edited more efficiently. There is also a need for a tool that tracks the current status of a software project as it is being developed, as well as provides additional enhancements associated with writing and/or editing software.
The present invention alleviates one or more of the shortcomings described above.